News Nosh 3.15.20

"Your step...is a courageous act and has a chance to begin a process of repair and healing. You can
break the glass ceiling that hinders Arab society from being a tremendous growth engine in all walks of life.
It is likely that you will suddenly find that the glass ceiling that prevents Israel from rising as a state, as
a society, as a democracy - will also be shattered, at last."
--Author and Israel's moral compass, David Grossman wrote in Yedioth about Kahol-Lavan leader Benny Gantz's call
for the mostly Arab 'Joint List' to be part of the emergency unity government that Israeli Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu called for. Netanyahu rejected the inclusion of the Joint List.*
Front Page:

Netanyahu
calls again to Gantz and Peretz: “Come join an emergency government”

The revenge
of the Red Sea - Storm caused heavy damage the sea threw garbage back out to the coast

Israel Hayom

Country in
shutdown

Charging to
the supermarkets

Family
isolation

Getting
closer to an emergency government

The battle
over the corona crisis is more important than politics // Yaakov Berdugo

Top News Summary - Mostly
Corona:
The latest moves by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to slow down the spread of corona in Israel led the Hebrew
papers, pushing aside even the fact that today (Sunday) the parties each meet with President Reuven Rivlin to tell
him who they recommend be given the chance to form a government. Update below.

Ahead of his speach and following rumors of a total shutdown, Israelis had charged at supermarkets and pharmacies, but Netanyahu said they
would always remain open, as well as gas stations. He called on anyone who doesn't require to leave the house
to stay indoors. On Thursday, when 109 people were infected, Netanyahu shut down schools and universities. Israel will also postpone the
upcoming draft of soldiers, leave non-essential soldiers at home and told other soldiers to be prepared to
stay on base for an extended period of time. Training for reserve soldiers of land forces was postponed.

Israeli Research Center to Announce It Developed Coronavirus Vaccine, Sources Say - Scientists
at the Biological Research Institute are making significant breakthroughs in understanding coronavirus, the
sources say, but a long process of pre-clinical and clinical trials is to follow. (Haaretz+)

Coronavirus in Israel: Refusal to Approve Tests Leads to Dumping Samples - 'We take samples
which we end up throwing out because we’re not allowed to send them to a lab,' doctors tell Haaretz. (Haaretz+)

Despite Coronavirus Crisis, 24 Americans Set to Move to Israel on Thursday - Group, first to
make aliyah since Covid-19 pandemic hit Israel last month, will have to go into self-quarantine for 14 days.
(Haaretz+)

In Arab Israeli town, 100 returnees from overseas flout quarantine - Some of them went to the
El Clásico soccer match between Real Madrid and Barcelona earlier this month where two others Israelis who were
later found to have coronavirus also attended. (Agencies, Haaretz)

Coronavirus in Israel: Everything You Need to Know About the New Guidelines for Tourists and Israeli
Citizens - Are tourists able to visit Israel? What about the quarantine requirements for Israeli
citizens and residents returning from overseas trips? The Health Ministry’s head of international relations
answers the key questions. (Haaretz+)

200 corona tests transferred to Gaza Strip - The unit for Coordinating Government Operations
in the Occupied Territories, led by Maj. Gen. Kamil Abu Rukon, (according to Yedioth at the orders of Defense
Minister Naftali Bennett) decided to deliver the tests - at the request of the Palestinians, in an effort to
prevent the spread of the virus, which could harm Gaza residents, including those who arrive daily in Israel.
The tests were passed through the Erez crossing. "Viruses and illnesses have no borders - and preventing the
spread of corona in the Gaza Strip and lesson the breakout in the Judea and Samaria areas (West Bank) is of the
highest Israeli interest and out of humanitarian reasons. (Maariv, p. 5 and News1 Hebrew)

Hamas shuts crossings, PA suspends mass prayers amid virus fears - Gaza's rulers close border
crossings for travel Thursday even though no COVID-19 cases in the Strip have been recorded; leadership in the
West Bank that has 38 cases, urges 'people in Palestine to hold their prayers at home.’ (Agencies, Ynet)

Iran: We cannot deal with the sanction and with corona - Iranian president Rouhani said the US
sanctions are harming the fight against the spread of the virus in the country. Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif
to UN Secretary-General: “The criminal sanctions restrict our medical teams." The words were said following the
remarks by US Secretary of State Pompeo, who accused Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei for failing to prevent the
virus from spreading in his country. (Yedioth Hebrew and Maariv, p. 6)

Iran's Death Toll From Coronavirus Reaches 724, Says Health Official - A host of senior
officials, politicians, doctors, commanders of the elite Revolutionary Guards and clerics have been infected
with the virus. (Agencies, Haaretz)

Iran security forces to empty city streets to fight coronavirus - Iran is one of the countries
most affected by the pandemic outside China. (Agenices, Haaretz)

Gulf moves to contain coronavirus as top Iran aide tests positive - Persian Gulf countries
have been scrambling to contain the outbreak, which has infected thousands of people in nearby Iran. (Agencies,
Haaretz)

UPDATE: Kahol-Lavan leader Benny Gantz will get first chance to form a government after a majority of 61 members
of Knesset (MKs) recommended him. All the members of the mostly-Arab Joint List party and of MK Avigdor
Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party supported Gantz, despite each saying in the past they would not agree to be
connected to a government supported by the other. The Labor-Meretz slate recommended Gantz, too, but its ally
in the election, Gesher leader Orly Levi-Abekasis, refused to recommend him due to her opposition to being in
a government relying on Arab MKs' support, giving Gantz 61 recommendations, the narrowest majority
possible.

Elections
2020 / Netanyahu Indictment Quickees:

SUNDAY: Netanyahu Trial Postponed as Justice Minister Freezes Courts Over Coronavirus
Emergency - On Thursday, Interim Justice Minister Amir Ohana, a Netanyahu appointee, expanded his
powers to freeze court activity in case of escalation in coronavirus cases in Israel. Netanyahu's trial in
three corruption cases was postponed until May 24, a district court announced on Sunday. (Haaretz+, Ynet and Israel Hayom)

MK Ya'alon: "Moving out Netanyahu is a top goal. We have no choice but to be supported by the Joint
List“ - Senior [right-wing] Kahol-Lavan MK Moshe Yaalon explained to Army Radio Thursday why he
changed his stance on a minority government: "Election results require us to deal with a dilemma: Which
election promise do we break?“ About (Kahol-Lavan MKs) Yoaz Handel and Zvi Hauser (who don’t support forming a
minority government back by the Joint List: "Any decision that Kahol-Lavan leadership will make will be carried
out.” (Maariv)

Israelis would like to avoid minority government, poll finds - Some 55% of Israelis do not
approve of Blue and White pursuing a narrow government with the support of Arab MKs, while 31% supported the
move. A third of the public thinks it's time for a broad national unity government, and 47% believe Benjamin
Netanyahu is best suited for the role of prime minister. (Israel Hayom)

How This Jerusalem Left-wing Bastion Turned Right in Israel's Last Election - Once the
Jerusalem stronghold and symbol of Ashkenazi elite, a plurality of Rehavia voters backed Likud in last
election. (Haaretz+)

Other Quick Hits:

'Deal or no deal': Declassified Oslo Accords documents show uncertainty from all sides -
Expelling settlers from Hebron, an undivided Jerusalem and a Palestinian state – When Rabin complained to
Arafat and Peres admitted a historic mistake. (Haaretz)

"Territory exchange concept is not new and it was carried out between different European
countries" - Moshe Barur, the Israel Prize-winning geographer and the University Atlas author who
served generations of students, celebrates age 100 and opposes the boundaries outlined in the Plan of the
Century. (Maariv)

A seven-month-old (Bedouin) infant died as a result of a fire in a home in Rahat - Medic teams
arriving at the scene had to declare the baby's death. A 60-year-old man was admitted to the hospital in
moderate condition. In the past decade, 59 children have been killed in fires, 26% of them from the Bedouin
communities. (Maariv)

Three from Kufr Kara village were detained on suspicion of stealing weapons from IDF soldiers
- Following a covert investigation conducted by the police, which included operating a covert agent
impersonating a female soldier, three (Arab-Israeli) young men were suspected of stealing military equipment
from several soldiers' homes in the Carmel area. (Maariv)

Because of the security check: Bennett's press conference declaration was canceled after the some of
the media became furious and left - The press conference that was supposed to be held by the defense
minister was canceled after media crews complained about humiliating security checks carried out before
entering the site. Reporter Robbie Hammershleg: ""Shameful act that is repeated over and over again.” Bennett
was reportedly going to call for the establishment of an emergency government led by Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, following calls by Shas chairman Aryeh Deri to make this move following the spread of the Corona
virus in Israel. (Maariv)

Turkish, Russian troops to start Syria patrols on Sunday - The cease-fire by Russia and Turkey
calls for establishment of a security corridor along Syria's M4 highway, with joint patrols by Russian and
Turkish troops. (Agencies, Haaretz)

Syrian war, rumbling into 10th year, still gripped by brutal violence and a refugee crisis -
As Russia, Turkey, Iran and even the U.S. continue to do battle in Syria, Assad's grip on power seems certain,
but Syria's future is anything but. (Agencies, Haaretz)

Over a Dozen Rockets Hit Iraq Base Housing U.S.-led Coalition Troops, Officials Say - Attack
comes after three soldiers, two of them Americans, were killed in a similar incident several days ago.
(Agencies, Haaretz)

Elections
2020/Netanyahu Indictment Commentary/Analysis:Opportunity for a historical connection (Shimon Schiffer, Yedioth Hebrew) 1. Whoever expected Netanyahu to draw the obvious conclusion in
light of the reality forced upon the countries of the world and us because of the eruption of Corona, was
wrong. Netanyahu is as Netanyahu is: At press conferences in which he continues to market himself, while at
the same time refusing to accept to the government "supporters of terrorism,” thus missing an historic
opportunity to reconcile with Israeli Arabs on issues that do not belong to the right and left or to policy
questions. The virus does not stop at any checkpoint, and it requires us to unite: Arabs and Jews. 2. True, it
is not possible to sweep away the facts that point to the unification of the Arab parties for decades over
their national aspirations and their affinity for Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza and Arab
countries. In fact, both sides huddle around the narrative - Jewish voters on the dream of conquering the land
vs. Arab voters on the return to Palestine, which is manifested in the "right of return" among many Israeli
Arabs. But dreams are one thing, and the desire to push the other side out of here is something unacceptable.
Ironically, Netanyahu is the one who has led Israeli Arabs to the polls in the last three election campaigns,
making them the one capable of breaking the tie between the contenders for the premiership….5. Yesterday
morning I received medical treatment (for a non-life-threatening problem) at a medical clinic in Bnei Brak.
Most of the nurses and doctors were Israeli Arabs, who come every day to help us from cities and villages in
the north and center. They are dedicated, and deserve all the praise. They do not mix politics with their
work: they treat everyone. I guess the only thing that interests them is that we all recognize that they are
citizens with equal rights that we have. And I will add: Netanyahu, you have the responsibility to thank them,
because they are recruited all year round to take care of the same population you already belong to, the
elderly…Bibi and Tibi (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) There is one step that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can take now
that could still change the way he will go down in history. There’s probably no chance that he will take it,
but nevertheless he could repair a small amount of the damage he has done and leave behind a surprising
legacy. After all of his savage incitement against Israeli Arabs, Netanyahu could invite their
representatives, the Knesset members of the Joint List, to join the emergency government that will presumably
be formed and he could assign them to cabinet positions, in keeping with their skills. It is impossible to
overstate the significance of such a move, particularly in light of the unprecedented atmosphere of anti-Arab
racism in Israel today.*Call them in, Gantz (David Grossman, Thursday Yedioth Hebrew) These things are written in the midst of the nightly
drama surrounding the establishment of the emergency government. Amid growing anxiety due to the corona
epidemic, a bright spot flashes here. Gantz's determination in these moments to include in the government the
Joint List. This new determination indicates a way of thinking - and action - that we have not seen in decades
towards the Arab sector in Israel. "Arabs in Israel must be judged by what they might do and not by what they
did," said David Ben-Gurion in the early 1950s, thus formulating the country's fundamental position toward the
Arab minority. Seventy years have passed since then, and the Jewish majority continues to incriminate the
minds of the Arab minority, "until their innocence is proven." Seventy years have passed since then. Seventy
years are certainly a perversion of justice. Almost 20% of the organism of the State of Israel exists in a
state of being suspended. Of only partial realization. This is not a situation created by itself, there are
those in Israel who are very interested that this large minority will feel this way: always undesirable and
not belonging, always on the verge of expulsion, exile, as a refugee. Precisely from this place came
Netanyahu's statement about the Arabs rushing to the polls. This is where the ‘Jewish Nation State Law’ is
intended to make Arab citizens even more excluded, even more humiliated. Even more 'on probation'. Hence the
birth of the outrageous clause about the future of Israeli Arabs, in Trump's - and Netanyahu’s - ‘Plan of the
Century.’ But now, following the recent election campaign, a new situation has arisen: the Arabs refuse to be
ousted and to disappear. The absentees returned to being present. Attempts to keep them submissive and passive
failed. They are here, ready to make the move, which has been kept from them - and which they themselves have
avoided for 72 years - to enter not only the political field but into the entire Israeli experience, in all
its dimensions. Even if tonight's move fails to take power, we are still witnessing a new phase: this is a
momentous opportunity for Arab Israeli citizens. Now they basically stopping to act like a "protest movement"
and nothing more than that, and now they could be equal partners in shaping the reality of their lives and
determining their future and destiny. A new and accelerated stage in the process of Israelization of the
"sector" may now open, bringing with it many rights, as well as obligations, and civil and political
responsibilities that will continually challenge both the Jewish majority and the complex status of Arab
citizens of Israel. This is also the great test moment for Benny Gantz. Let's hope he'll withstand the
tremendous pressure that will be exerted on him in the coming hours. It's good that you recognize the fateful
importance of the state of affairs tonight, Gantz. It is good that you call on Israeli Arabs to come inside,
into the Israeli home. Don't stop here: Call them wholeheartedly to be citizens of equal rights and
obligations in the Jewish People's National Home. Collaborating with the Emergency Government is a recognition
that the existential threat has suddenly become remarkably clear how intertwined their fate and the fate of
the Jewish majority are. Your step tonight, as of this midnight hour, is a courageous act and has a chance to
begin a process of repair and healing. You can break the glass ceiling that hinders Arab society from being a
tremendous growth engine in all walks of life. It is likely that you will suddenly find that the glass ceiling
that prevents Israel from rising as a state, as a society, as a democracy - will also be shattered, at last.
To you, Gantz, now opens a way to reformulate — in a truly egalitarian, anti-racist, respectful way— the
contract between the two parts of the population. You have the power to pour real content into the
declarations of collaboration and equality of the Declaration of Independence. The Joint List has people whose
opinions make me shudder. The views of many Israelis are also a nightmare for Arabs in Israel. But the
continuation of the existing situation, which is all suspicion and hostility, could degrade both parties to
radicalization and violent outbursts. Perhaps it is precisely the sharing, the need to compromise and to
develop, to create surprising alliances, and even the mere listening from a new place to the story of the
other party, his suffering, his justice, will be able to start a new dynamic? Benny Gantz, your position in
the night negotiations will mark your path and your vision. While this is only a temporary government here,
your decision to treat Israeli Arabs as an integral part of Israel signals that a better future will indeed
open to Israel after years of stagnation and fixation, and that you are not the echo of Netanyahu but a
completely different leader. The leader that Israel is desperate for.An attack on Israel's Arabs is an attack on us all (Former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, Yedioth/Ynet) While many disagree with members of the Joint List on many
subjects, the attempt to denounce them along with one fifth of the country's citizens is unacceptable,
unabashed racism that we must all denounce.Imagine an "enlightened" Jewish-Arab government (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom) Are we really ready for Israeli policy under a defiantly secular
and not-so-Zionist government comprising Blue and White, Yisrael Beytenu, Labor-Meretz, and the Joint Arab
List?A minority government may put the State of Israel back on track (Ran Edelist, Maariv) Full connection with the Joint List is the most courageous act that the
band of generals (leaders of Kahol-Lavan) may ever do.Sowing Fear Amid the Coronavirus Outbreak, Netanyahu Is in His Element (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) The coronavirus pandemic has provided an embarrassment of riches for
Netanyahu, who's using the chaos to his best political benefit while Gantz grapples with the sourpusses who
are slipping away from Kahol Lavan.Every Hebrew mother should know: the moral sin of the leaders of Kahol-Lavan (Kalman Libskind,
Maariv) In the name of removing Netanyahu, the party of the three chiefs of
staff (Kahol-Lavan) was prepared to sit down with a party whose platform was wiping out the Jewish state and
whose leaders supported the terrorists.Opportunity for a historical connection (Shimon Schiffer, Yedioth Hebrew) 1. Whoever expected Netanyahu to draw the obvious conclusion in
light of the reality forced upon the countries of the world and us because of the eruption of Corona, was
wrong. Netanyahu is as Netanyahu is: At press conferences in which he continues to market himself, while at
the same time refusing to accept to the government "supporters of terrorism,” thus missing an historic
opportunity to reconcile with Israeli Arabs on issues that do not belong to the right and left or to policy
questions. The virus does not stop at any checkpoint, and it requires us to unite: Arabs and Jews. 2. True, it
is not possible to sweep away the facts that point to the unification of the Arab parties for decades over
their national aspirations and their affinity for Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza and Arab
countries. In fact, both sides huddle around the narrative - Jewish voters on the dream of conquering the land
vs. Arab voters on the return to Palestine, which is manifested in the "right of return" among many Israeli
Arabs. But dreams are one thing, and the desire to push the other side out of here is something unacceptable.
Ironically, Netanyahu is the one who has led Israeli Arabs to the polls in the last three election campaigns,
making them the one capable of breaking the tie between the contenders for the premiership….5. Yesterday
morning I received medical treatment (for a non-life-threatening problem) at a medical clinic in Bnei Brak.
Most of the nurses and doctors were Israeli Arabs, who come every day to help us from cities and villages in
the north and center. They are dedicated, and deserve all the praise. They do not mix politics with their
work: they treat everyone. I guess the only thing that interests them is that we all recognize that they are
citizens with equal rights that we have. And I will add: Netanyahu, you have the responsibility to thank them,
because they are recruited all year round to take care of the same population you already belong to, the
elderly…Time to Put Israel in Mass Therapy (Ofri Ilany, Haaretz+) Why does the country find itself in an obsessive political spiral at
this precise time? Psychoanalysis might have an explanation.Bibi, Tibi and what's in between: Making order in the subject of forming a coalition (Shmuel
Rosner, Maariv) To understand the position of Kahol-Lavan voters in the current
political plunder, one must ask not only who they are against, Prime Minister Netanyahu or the Joint List, but
also what they are more against.The Coronavirus Pandemic Serves Netanyahu’s Political Interests (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) This war appeared like a miracle, and what a wonderful gift it is for
Netanyahu – almost as good as a Knesset majority of 61. Because he didn’t initiate it, but he profits from it,
as he does from the fear of the terrified herd of Israelis for whom existential anxiety is a religion, and who
as usual in wartime, cries out for unity. Isolation in the homes, togetherness in the hearts.National emergency government is a must (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) We should all pray that this time, unity negotiation will be taken
seriously by everyone involved. A national emergency government formed by the two major parties is no longer
just an option – it's the only option.Jewish and Panicked by Coronavirus? Come With Your Guilty Conscience to Israel (Anshel Pfeffer,
Haaretz+) Come to a country familiar with overcoming extreme scenarios. Use your
right to citizenship to call out Netanyahu’s crass attempts to downgrade Arab citizens' rights.The last three election campaigns have caused a marked increase in hatred (Prof. Avi Degani,
Maariv) Which party is most hated (Joint List - 74%), how many think that the
number of parties needs to be reduced (56%), and what led to the empowerment of the Joint List? There is no
doubt that Kahol-Lavan’s last-minute courting after the Joint List lifted the morale and pride of the Arab
population. In examining reasons people voted for the Likud, when no possible answers were presented to the
respondents, about 50% - 55% referred to Benjamin Netanyahu's virtues. The second half of the value was
motivated by a deterministic pattern, much like voters from ultra-Orthodox or religious parties. A typical
response of these voters is "In our family traditionally we always vote Likud.” So in a way, the Likud is a
kind of religion. Results from the emotional-political research study of the Geo-Cartography Institute.Politics in the Shadow of Corona (Haaretz Editorial) Under the shadow of the spread of the coronavirus and
political uncertainty, the Knesset is to be sworn in on Monday. Meanwhile, Kahol Lavan and Likud are
discussing the possibility, proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of establishing a broad national
emergency government. Nevertheless, Kahol Lavan still hopes to obtain the support of 61 MKs to recommend to
the president on Sunday that Kahol Lavan chairman MK Benny Gantz form the new government. And on Friday, Kahol
Lavan asked Knesset Speaker MK Yuli Edelstein to hold a vote on Monday to elect a new speaker from their
party. The decision by Kahol Lavan’s leaders to adhere to their initiative to replace Edelstein of Likud with
Meir Cohen of Kahol Lavan, despite talks with Likud, is an important one. The criticism voiced by Likud
officials that Kahol Lavan is dealing in “petty politics,” while Netanyahu is trying to save Israel and the
rest of the world, is in itself petty politics.An Emergency for Israeli Democracy: Coronavirus Crisis Cannot Chip Away at Checks and Balances
(Noa Landau, Haaretz+) The epidemic comes at a time when caretaker prime minister Netanyahu,
who is indicted for corruption and fighting for his political and personal future, has too much authority and
too much at stake.When a politician changes his skin, the sky does not fall (Anna Barsky, Maariv) Politics is not the house of learning morality. Orly Levi-Abeksis is not
the problem, neither is Yoaz Handel and Zvi Hauser - but, rather, those who used them. And also: in the shadow
of the Corona, a unity government has turned into a relevant expression…Were I Benny Gantz, I would not aspire
to be prime minister precisely during the days of an epidemic. Entering a new business is difficult and
complicated anyway - and in a time of total panic, uncertainty and negative forecasts for the economy and the
market - such an act seems closest to political suicide.Israeli Politics in the Time of the Coronavirus: A Moment of Moral Clarity or Cynical Politics
(Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) It took a global pandemic for Gantz to break Israel’s biggest
political taboo – but will Netanyahu’s trap work?

Other Commentary/Analysis:As Israel Prepares for Coronavirus in the Palestinian Territories, Gaza Raises Dilemmas (Hagar
Shezaf, Haaretz+) Hamas is already enforcing the medical isolation for 1,400 Gazans
suspected of having contracted the virus, but Israel is yet to decide how to move forward in the event of an
outbreak in the Strip.One cannot be jealous of the person who will have to make the decision whether to impose a closure on the
Palestinian Authority’s territory (Jackie Khougy, Maariv) In Israel, approximately 150,000 Palestinian laborers are employed, and
they hold up the construction industry - and the Palestinian economy. A closure will jeopardize both, making
the decision difficult and complicated.Yossi Beilin, There’s No Such Thing as a Jewish State (Avraham Burg, Haaretz+) Yossi Beilin is almost everything to me – teacher and partner, beloved
friend and challenging opponent. His last article in Israel Hayom outlines the core of the argument between us
– the watershed between the broad Zionist camp and what is yet to be the new Israeli left. He blasts Joint
List leader Ayman Odeh’s position that a Jewish majority is a racist term, stating that “if a Jewish majority
is a racist term, then a Jewish state is also a racist term, and Zionism is racism as well.” Is that what this
rational, pragmatic man thinks? I don’t know what Odeh thinks, but I, as one of tens of thousands of people
who voted for the Joint List, say to Beilin explicitly – yes. What for you is a rhetorical question for me is
a painful, penetrating reply – Zionism in Israel today means only one thing: racism! Zionism was the
scaffolding that enabled the Jewish nation’s transition from a scattered Diaspora structure to a sovereign
centralist structure. In May 1948, it was crowned with great success for the Jews and with a horrific tragedy
for the Palestinians, and by so doing finished its job. The state structure was set up, Israeliness was on its
way. But someone forgot to remove the scaffolding and since then, Zionism within Israel has been used only for
distinctions, exclusion and discrimination: Eli Yishai and Miri Regev against the foreign workers, Avigdor
Lieberman against the ultra-Orthodox, Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz against the Arabs. What are you doing
in that unworthy group?How Coronavirus Is Making Israelis and Palestinians Equal (Umm Forat, Haaretz+) 'Israel is obviously behind this,' Osama said, speaking of the West
Bank going under closure. 'And maybe it’s for the best.' Post #9.What happened to the Israeli Left? (Caroline B. Glick, Israel Hayom) We don't know how the political Gordian knot will be cut, but it
is clear that Blue and White's eagerness to form a coalition dependent on Arab MKs does not inspire confidence
in its leaders.'It's Not a Black Swan, It's a Mammoth': Coronavirus Dictates New Reality for Israeli Army (Amos
Harel, Haaretz+) One senior officer says implications of coronavirus crisis could be
more profound than 9/11.Wanted for Israel: crisis manager (Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth Hebrew) There is a need for a persona to lead the battle. For example,
(former chief of staff) Gadi Eisenkot. The peculiar incident that happened yesterday at noon illustrates
the whole story: Ministry of Health Director General Moshe Bar-Siman-Tov, perhaps the figure most identified
with the Corona crisis, issued an unusual statement in the middle of the Sabbath. He made clear - and asked
- the public to act responsibly. For someone watching from the side, it seems that Bar-Siman-Tov
is the "national calmer” and he does his job properly. But is it the role of the Ministry of Health to deal
with the issue of supermarkets in an emergency? The answer is, of course, negative, and this incident mainly
shows what an empty space exists in the State of Israel in managing a national crisis. An event of this
magnitude, which is not military, requires an overall vision, understanding, experience and authority
vis-à-vis all the various ministries - and ultimately also with the Ministry of Defense and the army, with
emphasis on the Home Front Command…The weak point of the State of Israel is national security and it is
appropriate to act quickly and rectify the issue. The most obvious solution is to call the flag to former
Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkott, who does not currently hold a position. He is available, worthy, professional
and authoritative.Coronavirus Presents Israel With Novel Threat to National Security (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Israel is better equipped than most countries to deal with military
threat on civilian population. But the coronavirus could reset the priorities.Qatar's friendship is good for Israel (Michal Yaari, Yedioth/Ynet) Mideast politics are a-changin' as old enemies are being
challenged to review their relations with the Jewish state and choosing strategic interests and pragmatism
over religion and ideology.Coronavirus Under Control? Egypt’s Latest Giant Problem Awaits (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The country hasn’t yet closed its borders, schools, or universities,
and if workers in the Gulf are sent back home, the ailing labor and housing markets will suffer further.Iran in the shadow of the coronavirus (Raz Zimmt, Yedioth/Ynet) While the Islamic Republic is hardly the most stable of countries,
the conduct of the Iranian government over COVID-19, coupled with thousands of people already having been
infected, serves to destabilize the country further.As Coronavirus Strikes, Iran Forced to Rethink Its Proxy Wars (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Strategically, the coronavirus provides Israel with some good news ■
Where Netanyahu demonstrates leadership, Trump exemplifies ignorance.

Interviews:'For the Bulgarians, There’s No Difference Between a Jew and an Israeli'
Last week at the Tel Aviv airport: What it's like to teach non-Jews attending a Jewish school in Bulgaria, and
what's the point of taking part in a dog show?. (Interviewed by Noa Epstein in Haaretz+)

Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.